Waltzing Matilda
by SnapperOrgans
Summary: This is my first thingy i've ever done. It's about Jamie and Val, but as seperate characters. Hope you like it. It might suck, really I'm not just saying that.
1. Default Chapter

hi, I'm a new auther, actually, I don't even know why I'm doing this. But hey, I was inspired, right? Anyway this is a song fic and mostly about Jamie, I guess. I wrote it real fast and all, and it's late. I really hope you guys know this song. It seems really lame just to type it. If it sucks, tell me. If it rules (unlikely), especially tell me. I'm not a good critic of my own stuff. Anyway, here goes, eh?

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Waltzing Matilda

_When I was a young man I carried my pack  
And I lived the free life of a rover  
From the Murrays green basin to the dusty outback  
I waltzed my Matilda all over  
Then in nineteen fifteen my country said Son  
It's time to stop rambling 'cause there's work to be done  
So they gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun  
And they sent me away to the war  
And the band played Waltzing Matilda  
As we sailed away from the quay  
And amidst all the tears and the shouts and the cheers  
We sailed off to Gallipoli_

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"Hi Val, how was your day?" Alex asked, though his back was turned to her while he was arranging some papers.

Val Linear had weaved her way through the students at kingsport high to the EMTstation where she worked after a day that she considered to be,

"Horrible, awful, miserable, and," she looked down at her brand-new once pristinely white capri pants, which now sported a brand-new purple stain down the side, "RUINED!"

"Gee Val, what happened to your pants?" Tyler jovially asked her as she whisked by him, heading for the change rooms.

"Two words. Jeremy Wiener" She called to him while she changed. 

Tyler knew his name was Weidner but decided against interrupting Val's venting. He knew she was a kind gentle person, but when someone actually pisses her off, watch out! Besides, he knew she had called him Wiener on purpose through an incredibly mature attempt at humour.

"The moron spilt iodine on me in chem class today…." Tyler lost track of her angry rantings but the words "can't believe it", "brand-new" and "IDIOT" could be heard through the murmur of noise in the office.

When she finally came out again wearing her EMT duds and angry glare. "well, look on the bright side, Val. Yellow wouldn't be as noticeable. Everyone knows starch turns iodine yellow." Tyler said.

Hank Beecham who had just entered the room stop and stared directly at Tyler, shaking his head slightly. "geek!" but he smiled, letting him know he was joking. They were exchanging a few playful punches when the EMT alarm went off. "Let's go, you guys!"

"Wait! Where's Jamie?" cried Val as everyone hurried inside the ambulance.

"We've got no time to wait for him, Val." Hank said as he hopped in the back of the 

vehicle.

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After 3 hours, the 3 EMT's returned, weary. The accident had involved a burning condominium and there were multiple serious burn victims to take care of. They had arrived on the scene with no gofer on the team and it noticeably slowed things down. 

Tyler and Hank came in dirty and exhausted and flopped down on the couch. Val on the other hand was still mighty ticked at Jamie for not showing at all and seemed as spry as ever, even if, god forbid, her hair was a mess. She stood in front of the couch.

"Where could he be right now? I mean, why would he just not come? I'm going to call him," she said and left the two others slumped in comfort. _I'll do something about Jamie later_ thought Hank as he slipped into a nap.

"Aha!" cried Val triumphantly after finally finding Jamie's number in one of the EMT files. Hurrying to the phone, she dialled the numbers and waited for someone to pick up. After about three rings…

"Hello?" answered a pleasant sounding woman's voice. _Hello Mrs.Waite_ thought Val.

"Hi, is Jamie home please?" she asked sweetly.

"I'm sorry, there's no Jamie living here."

"What?…oh, I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number." She said while hanging up slowly. Val checked the phone number again and saw that she hadn't made a mistake. _Why would Jamie give us a fake number?_

By this time, determination had given way to exhaustion and her shift was over. So she decided she'd kick Jamie's ass tomorrow and went home to veg.


	2. Chapter 2

wow, this one's kind of short. oh well. I

f you're still reading…GOOD!

Chapter 2.

__

Now those that were left, well we tried to survive  
In a mad world of blood, death and fire  
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive  
But around me the corpses piled higher  
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over tit  
And when I woke up in my hospital bed  
And saw what it had done, I wished I was dead  
Never knew there were worse things than dying  
For no more I'll go waltzing Matilda  
All around the green bush far and near  
For to hump tent and pegs, a man needs two legs  
No more waltzing Matilda for me

After falling asleep in front of "Friends" (that Joey. He's just too zany) and later waking up, Val decided to call up her best friend and, by any means her complete opposite, Caitie Roth. She was very good friends with Jamie, probably the best he has. She might know where he is, plus she was bored.

"Hello?" a monotonous and completely disinterested-sounding voice picked up the phone.

"Hey Caitie"

"Val! What's up?" she sounded a bit more cheerful now.

"Nothing much. Hey, do you know where Jamie is? He didn't show up for his shift today! I tried to call him, but he gave the EMT's a fake phone number!"

"oh no…" 

"Hey, you know where he lives don't you? I could just drop by…" Val said expectantly.

After several moments of silence, "I…I can't tell you where he lives Val."

"Oh, come on Caitie. I'm not going to kill him in his sleep or anything." Val said, wondering what the problem was.

Caitie sighed loudly over the phone "I'm serious Val. alright. I'm going to have to tell you everything. Everything about Jamie…but only because I'm afraid of what you might say to him. Val, you know how Jamie never talks about is parents or anything?" After a few moments silence, "Well, they're dead, he lives in the shelter down on 58th ave."

There was silence.

This is not what Val had been expecting.

"His dad was one of those men in the peacekeeping forces, he was sent in the middle of some damn war in the middle east while his mom was pregnant. He came back a several months later but he'd lost his legs when his troupe had been unexpectedly shelled." Catie took a break. Thinking of this story always made her cry. "Jamie had been born by then, but his dad got depressed. He purposely overdosed on his medication. His mom, she nearly went crazy, became an alcoholic, and died of alcohol poisoning when Jamie was 14. He's been on his own ever since."

Silence.

"My god Catie…that's so horrible" whispered Val, clearly taken aback by the story.

"I know." Caitie responded, remembering the time she'd first heard Jamie's tragic story.

"listen. Today, april 6th, was the day his dad was attacked. Jamie visits his parents' grave and sort of, thinks what his life might be like if his dad had been okay right now, I guess"

Val was completely astounded. Anger had turned to concern, all she knew was that she had to talk to him. No one should be alone with such a burden.

"thanks Catie" she said and slowly lowered the receiver on to the hook.


End file.
